Senior Shisui, are there no innocent people in the Uchiha clan?

Shin-getsu sneered inwardly.

Discussion?

It was likely more than just discussion.

Some would consider him a genius.

Some would consider him a nuisance.

Others might want to exploit his encounter from last night to further drive a wedge between the Uchiha and the Konoha high command.

The Uchiha clan was never a monolith to begin with.

Radicals, conservatives, the clan head's faction.

Everyone had their own agenda.

Shisui looked at Shin-getsu and suddenly said with a serious expression, "I am very sorry about what happened last night."

Shin-getsu raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Why are you apologizing?"

Shisui replied, "I am also a member of the Uchiha clan."

"A child was attacked within our own compound, yet we failed to discover it in time."

"This is our dereliction of duty."

Shin-getsu looked at Shisui and let out a soft sigh in his heart.

Shisui was just that kind of person.

Gentle, sincere, and kind.

He would take so much responsibility upon himself.

And it was precisely because of this that he naively thought he could resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha using Kotoamatsukami.

In Shisui's view, as long as the coup was prevented, as long as the clansmen changed their minds, and as long as the peace of the village was maintained, bloodshed could be avoided.

But the problem was, if the Uchiha didn't stage a coup, would the Konoha high command let them off the hook?

Would Danzo?

Would Obito?

Would Black Zetsu?

No.

Therefore, Shisui's naivety would ultimately only lead to his own death and the destruction of the Uchiha.

Shin-getsu suddenly spoke up.

"Senior Shisui."

Shisui was taken aback.

"What is it?"

Shin-getsu asked, "If I had been abducted last night, what would you have done?"

Shisui's expression shifted slightly.

He hadn't expected Shin-getsu to ask this.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I would have done everything in my power to save you."

Shin-getsu continued, "And if it were already too late to save me?"

Shisui fell silent for a moment.

"Then I would uncover the truth."

Shin-getsu stared at him.

"And if, in the end, you discovered that the perpetrator was someone from within the village?"

The smile on Shisui's face slowly faded.

This was almost the same question he had asked Itachi earlier.

But the difference was that Itachi would think from the perspective of the big picture.

Shisui, on the other hand, would attempt to find a peaceful solution.

Sure enough, Shisui said in a low voice, "If it truly was someone from the village, then the Hokage should be informed."

"The Hokage will handle it."

Shin-getsu laughed.

Shisui frowned.

"What are you laughing at?"

Shin-getsu replied, "What if the Hokage knows, but is unable to handle it?"

Shisui said immediately, "That won't happen."

Shin-getsu looked at him, his tone very light.

"Senior Shisui, how can you be so sure it won't?"

Shisui was momentarily speechless.

Shin-getsu continued, "What if the person who acted is someone even the Hokage cannot easily deal with?"

"What if that person harms the Uchiha in the name of the village?"

"What if the so-called 'greater good' ultimately requires us, the ones who were harmed, to just endure it ourselves?"

The atmosphere in the hospital room suddenly turned heavy.

Shisui looked at Shin-getsu, his gaze complex.

He had originally only intended to visit this injured younger member of his clan.

He wanted to soothe the boy's emotions and prevent him from harboring too deep a resentment toward the village because of what happened last night.

But now he realized he had seemingly underestimated Shin-getsu.

This nine-year-old child did not need his comfort.

Nor was he simply blinded by hatred.

Every question he asked struck precisely at the sharpest contradictions between the Uchiha and Konoha.

Shisui was silent for a moment, then said, "Shin-getsu, I know you went through something very painful last night."

"But the village is not the enemy."

"There are many innocent people in the village as well."

"If the Uchiha and the village continue to stand in opposition, more people will only get hurt in the end."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"I agree."

Shisui was taken aback.

He had not expected Shin-getsu to agree so readily.

But the next moment, Shin-getsu continued, "However, what I want to ask is, why is it that every time we talk about avoiding conflict, the Uchiha are the first ones asked to back down?"

Shisui's expression shifted slightly.

Shin-getsu said slowly, "We are suspected, so we must endure."

"We are moved to the edge of the village, so we must endure."

"Our clansmen are monitored, so we must endure."

"Last night, I was nearly taken away as a test subject. If no evidence could be found, would I have had to endure that too?"

"Senior Shisui."

"You say there are innocent people in the village."

"Then, are there no innocent people among the Uchiha?"

Shisui fell completely silent.

Shin-getsu's voice was not loud.

Yet every word was like a shuriken, piercing his heart.

Of course he knew there were innocent people among the Uchiha.

Of course he knew his clansmen had endured much injustice.

But he had always believed that as long as both sides exercised restraint, as long as there was still room for communication, things would not reach the worst possible outcome.

But Shin-getsu's questions forced him to face a reality.

The so-called restraint seemed to have always been the Uchiha doing the restraining.

The suspicion from the village's high-ranking officials had never ceased.

And the hands of Root had already reached into the clan's territory.

Shisui took a deep breath.

"So, what do you want to do?"

Shin-getsu did not answer immediately.

He looked at Shisui, his eyes calm.

"I am too weak right now; I can't do anything."

"But at least I know one thing."

Shisui asked, "What?"

Shin-getsu said each word clearly, "Peace cannot be bought by sacrificing the innocent."

"And we certainly cannot trade for it by twisting the will of our own people."

Uchiha Shisui's pupils constricted sharply.

In that instant, he almost thought Shin-getsu knew something.

Kotoamatsukami.

His Mangekyo ability.

It could permanently alter a person's will without them ever realizing it.

This was Shisui's greatest secret.

Very few people knew of it.

Not even many within the clan were aware of its existence.

Yet, Shin-getsu's words just now seemed to point directly at his eyes.

Twisting the will.

These four words stirred waves in Shisui's heart.

He asked calmly, "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

Shin-getsu replied indifferently, "Because I feel that if someone wants to trade for peace by controlling the thoughts of their comrades, that is truly pathetic."

The fingers hidden within Shisui's sleeves tightened slightly.

At this moment, the way he looked at Shin-getsu changed completely.

He was no longer looking at an injured junior.

He was looking at a dangerous observer.

Shin-getsu was also very clear in his heart.

He had taken a risk with those words.

But he had to warn Shisui in advance.

Kotoamatsukami was one of the most critical variables before the clan's annihilation.

If Shisui continued to cling to the idea of "using Kotoamatsukami to change the clan leader's will," he would be targeted by Danzo sooner or later.

He needed to make Shisui doubt this path ahead of time.

Even if it was just a little bit.

The system notification rang in his mind as expected.

[Host has influenced a key character: Uchiha Shisui.]

[Uchiha Shisui's original thought trajectory has deviated.]

[Obtained Karma Points: 500.]

[Current Karma Points: 500.]

A flash of brilliance flickered deep within Shin-getsu's eyes.

Just a few words, and he had gained five hundred Karma Points.

As expected of Shisui.

The value of a key character far exceeded that of an ordinary ninja.

Shisui stood before the hospital bed, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, he slowly exhaled and revealed a gentle smile once more.